[WHY DID YOU THINK YOU WERE ALONE?]
The system notification flashed before his eyes. The letters were cold, emotionless, and foreign—but they resonated deeply within Jin. This was not just a message. It was a reminder, a threat, perhaps even a wake-up call.
Jin stared at the screen. His eyes were blank, his lips parted, but not a single word came out. It was as if the world had suddenly placed its weight on his shoulders.
All strength drained from his legs. He couldn't resist. When his knees hit the ground, the resistance inside him collapsed along with them. Up until that moment, he had been searching for a reason to fight, but now… he didn't even know why he should run.
His throat was dry. His heart was racing yet seemed on the verge of stopping. Something was wrong. Something big. The butterfly effect… yes. But this wasn't a breeze; it was a storm.
"I… wasn't alone, was I?"
"I thought I was the only one who had returned to the past…"
A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead and fell to the ground. But this time it wasn't sweat; it was a tear.
He felt like a failure.
This feeling echoing inside him was a silent scream coming from the deepest part of his mind. When this disaster happened in his previous life, only a few thousand people had survived. Now he was stronger, yes... But the enemy knew everything now. His past, his moves, his weaknesses. And the creatures before him… were far stronger, far more ruthless.
He knelt, as if the weight of the universe had crushed his shoulders. Breathing felt difficult.
"Amelia…" he said in a hoarse voice,
"Am I… going to lose you again?"
These words shattered all the emotions he had been trying to suppress.
Tears began to stream down his cheeks, beyond his control. Each drop that fell was an echo of past losses. Anger, fear, longing... all mixed together. He was trying to save the world, but this time, would Amelia be the one to pay the price again?
He placed his hands on the ground. His fingers clenched the soil. But this time, he was searching for despair, not hope. He was afraid. He was truly afraid.
The sword… it was just a few meters away.
But Jin didn't even have the strength to reach out his hand. His body had grown heavy as the meaning within him faded. His muscles were tired, his breath was scattered, his mind was dark. Fear had crept into his heart. He was afraid of losing his loved ones once again... of failing again.
In that darkness, just as he was about to give up... a memory gently came to mind.
****
Once upon a time, lying in Amelia's soft and warm embrace...
Her peaceful breath caressed Jin's hair as it passed over his head. It was the only place he felt safe. All the wars in the world, all the darkness, vanished with Amelia's smile.
Amelia fixed her eyes on Jin. She began to speak in her calm, soothing voice:
"Do you know what? I was afraid too... in my first major battle.
There were enemies much stronger than me, and there were so many of them. My hands were shaking, my heart was racing. But then... do you know how I overcame my fear?"
Jin shook his head slightly. "No," he seemed to say.
Amelia looked at him with kindness and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.
"I thought of you.
I remembered that I wasn't alone in the world, that I existed for someone...
That gave me strength.
I fought for you, for myself. I survived.
That's why I ask only one thing of you...
Please... survive.
And be my source of life, my love."
After these words, Jin sat up. A spark had ignited within him.
He moved closer to Amelia, cupping her cheek in his hands. When their eyes met, the storms within him had calmed. He lowered his head… and gently touched her lips. A moment suspended in time had been lived.
After the kiss, he stepped back. His eyes held both longing and determination.
"You are my source of strength too, Amelia…
As long as you are alive, I will never be afraid.
And I will never back down.
Let millions die if necessary… but you must survive."
****
Jin's mind comes alive with this scene. He stands up and takes his sword in hand.
He had one purpose:
"Keep Amelia alive."
This was the promise he had made to himself and his past self.
He began running down the long, empty corridor. After what felt like an eternity, he finally found the exit.
He looked around and saw people screaming and fleeing. Monsters were chasing them.
"This means… the defense is collapsing."
With that thought, Jin vanished from where he stood.
****
Jonh was just a 15-year-old boy with no superpowers.
He was running away with many other people. Behind them were monsters running toward them, driven by hunger. Each one had a terrifying appearance and immense strength.
His feet began to ache, and his speed slowed.
> 'Tak... tak... tak—THUD!'
John fell hard to the ground. When he came to, he found himself face to face with a monster.
It was too late to escape.
He closed his eyes and waited for death.
But it never came.
John slowly opened his eyes.
He saw the monster lying on the ground and someone standing over it, drawing a sword.
The most striking feature about him was his black and red hair.
He couldn't see his face.
He heard a calm yet authoritative voice:
"Get up and run!"
Hearing those words, he came to his senses. He got up and began running away with the others.
****
Jin pulled his blood-covered sword out of the monster's head with a sharp tug. Drops of blood floated in the air, and the cold metal of the sword glinted. He looked at the five monsters running toward him; rubies flickering between three and four on their foreheads symbolized their power.
"There's no time... I must hurry," Jin thought, his heartbeat matching the pace of the battle.
[TRAITOROUS AMBUSH USED]
He moved as if he were invisible, appearing behind the farthest monster.
'Swooshj—Chuk!'
Jin's sword struck the monster's neck like lightning. The monster's head separated from its body and fell to the cold ground, the echo of the impact reverberating around them. The other monsters suddenly stopped, turning to face him, but it was too late.
Jin seized the moment of stillness; he charged swiftly toward the nearest monster. He channeled intense mana into his leg; the energy twisted in his veins and built up like a bomb ready to explode.
The monster was shaken by the mana void in its heart before it could even turn around. Its knees buckled, and it collapsed to the ground. However, the remaining four monsters continued to charge toward Jin without noticing.
Jin held the sword he had drawn from his heart tightly, his breath quickening, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
The distance between them was only half a step. The monster was about to bring its claw down from above; a swift and deadly attack.
But Jin was ready.
The monster's claw was cut off in mid-air; Jin stepped to the right and
'Shlaakk—Fsshhh!'
The sword sliced through the claw like a sharp knife, the monster's arm fell to the ground, blood spurting out. The monster growled in pain, but before it could scream, it looked at its own body; its head was severed, staring at its own body. Its eyes slowly closed, its life fading away.
Jin caught his breath and prepared himself, looking at the remaining three monsters. The battle was just beginning.
****
Elena was shaken by the sudden attack, but there was no room for hesitation on the battlefield. She took a deep breath and clasped her trembling hands around her sword once more. Alongside a few students and a group of teachers, she was resisting the wave after wave of monsters advancing before her.
Her sword moved like a blood-stained shadow. With each swing, another monster fell to the ground, and the warmth of the blood splattering on her body felt like a weight on her cooling heart. But it wasn't just enemies who were falling one by one; friends were too. The students fighting beside her—those hopeful faces representing the future—now lay motionless on the cold stones.
The school was prepared for such an attack. According to emergency plans, when the city came under attack, teachers were required to evacuate students to safe areas through portals. Each student was a hope; a spark that would shape the future. Losing them was a luxury.
The person leading Elena's group was Gabriel, one of the academy's most respected instructors. He was at the forefront of the battle, fighting the strongest monsters one-on-one. Gabriel was at the pinnacle of his mastery, and each of his movements was as graceful as a work of art, yet as deadly as an executioner's blow. His mana usage was flawless—measured, controlled, efficient.
After a ten-minute bloody and intense battle, all the monsters were finally laid to rest. The group moved toward the academy building with heavy steps but determination. The portal inside the school was the safest point in the city. The four main buildings were constructed from specially enchanted materials and were nearly impenetrable against external threats.
Gabriel ran ahead, clearing the way for the others. Elena watched him in awe. This man, who had stood like a wall during the battle, seemed almost divine to her. But her eyes suddenly darted to the left, to a narrow alley.
Someone was lying there.
She recognized them.
Her feet stopped abruptly. Her heart tightened. She recognized the body lying under the dim streetlight. The others noticed Elena had stopped, but she had already left the path and entered the alley.
She ran to the body. Her knees gave way, her legs could no longer carry her. She knelt down, her trembling hands touching the corpse. His eyes filled with tears. This was the person he loved. He had never been able to express his love, because he had the responsibility of his family—his mother, father, and younger siblings—on his shoulders. But now... it seemed like nothing mattered anymore.
Her hands reached out to the young man lying on the ground. She held them tightly.
"I loved you too..." she said in a trembling voice. "I'm sorry... so sorry..."
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and a silent scream rose from her chest.
Just then—
"Kaf!... Kaf!... Kaf!..."
A hoarse cough was heard. Elena turned her head. That voice... It was Sam. He was alive!
"Hold on! Please... Drink this!"
Elena quickly pulled a healing potion from her bag and held it to Sam's lips. But before the bottle could reach his mouth, a weak hand gently pushed it away.
"I'm sorry," Sam said, forcing a smile. "It won't work… my time is up."
Elena's eyes locked onto Sam's face. The light in his eyes was fading. But he was still looking at her with that old, mischievous smile.
"At least someone… thought of me…"
"Don't speak, please don't speak!"
But Sam's sentence was cut short. He was shaken by a cough filled with blood. Blood came from his mouth. Elena's hands held Sam helplessly. Her tears had turned into a flood.
Sam's helpless voice rang out again.
"Go... please, and stay alive. Tell my brother I love him. Tell him I have no regrets as I die. Go!"
Elena, hearing Sam's words, didn't know what to do. She approached Sam and held his hand.
"No, you tell him that. I'll get up and go."
As she spoke these words, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"He... he's dead."
It was Gabriel. When Elena heard these words, cold sweat poured from her body. Gabriel forced her to her feet, laid her on his shoulder, and began running back to where they had come from. Elena let out a pitiful scream.
"Stop... please stop. He's the only one. We can't leave him."
But despite all these words, Gabriel did not stop and continued on.
Many students who heard Elena's voice didn't know what to say. They silently followed their teacher.
When everyone had left, someone appeared beside Sam's lifeless body. He spoke a single word.
"I was late."